Jointed figure toy



Oct. 28, 1952 G. H. sr-:LlGsoN JOINTED FIGURE Toy Filed Feb. l0, 1948 2 SHEETS-#SHEET 1 E. la Q d m .I l0) 7 E j Oct. 28, 1952 G. H. sELlGsoN JOINTED FIGURE TOY Filed Feb. 10,' 1948 Patented (Jet.` 28, 1952 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE i f v JOINTED FIGURE Tor George H. seligsmNew York, N. Y.

Application February l0, 1948, Serial No. 71,417 11012111115. (o1. lils-4161) of assembling the limbs to a doll that will reduce manufacturing costs such as the number of im#- perfect assemblies; to provide an assembly wherein the movement of one limb will cause one or more of the remaining limbs to move; to provide a central post within the doll for holding the limbs in position in their sockets as well as to provide means for rotating the limbs; to provide such a post terminating externally in a head section;

y to provide a body section for the doll divided into transverse or longitudinal: portions without Gaus#- ing a seam in the limb sockets; to provide means for securing the transversely sectional doll portions, while allowing 'the two portions to rotate one with respect to the other; to provide a doll wherein the limbs may be inserted into their sockets `from the inside; to provide limbs with enlarged end sections retaining the limbs in their sockets when inserted from the inside; to provide a doll body'having socket apertures, and other openings through which the entire limbs are inserted lto be positioned into their respective sockets; to provide limbs having internal engaging surfaces for causing the limbs to be moved thereby; to provide a doll with an inside post provided with a spring wound mechanismfor causing the limbs to be rotated thereby; to provide a doll with a hollow central post; and to provide aiigure having'the foregoing characteristics which can be made of moulded parts at lower cost than previous types of so called animated toy iigures. v y

I accomplish theseandother objects and obtain' my new results 'as will be apparent yfrom the device described in the following specification,

particularly pointed out in the claim, and illusftrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of my invention, in the form' of a doll partially in section.

Fig. 2 is a top-transverse sectional view taken in theplane 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a similar'view taken in the plane 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the upper portion of the doll body illustrating the method of assembling one of lithe arms through. the transverse body opening into the arm socket.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating vthe method of inserting the arm through the headv opening of the body section.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the method of inserting the dolls leg into its socket.

Fig. 7 is a front sectional view illustrating a. modied form of enlarged ends of Iarms in contact with each other.

Fig. 8 is a similar view illustration, of a further modification. y

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a spring wound mechanism for causing movement in the doll parts. l

Fig. 10 is a front sectional view of a modified form of central post and limb engaging means.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of an animal ligure, illustrating a. longitudinally sectional body section. p

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a preferred embodimentV of my invention comprises the upper hollow body section IU, lower hollow body section II, arms I2 and I3, legs` I4 and I5` and head section I6. n

The upper body section contains a head aperture Il, and a transverse body opening I8 through which opening and aperture the longitudinally positioned central post I9 extends, terminating in the head section I6. The opening I 8 is shaped to form a peripheral seat 23 for positioning the edge Zwof the lower body section which forms the transverse opening 2 I. At the bottom of' the lower body section, an aperture 22 is located through' which the end portion of post I9 protrudes, where it is attened, as at 23 to form a rivet-like fastening means for -holding all the parts together.r f Y The longitudinally extending post may be made hollow as at 24, connecting with the mouth `25 of the head, to create a liquid passageway to opening 23.

Arms I2 andy I3 are positioned in openings 2l and 28 respectively, the enlarged circumferential flanges or shoulder portions 29 and maintaining the arms in movable position in the openings. Projecting from theanges 29 and 3B are collars 3| and 32 respectively,` for a purpose hereinafter described.

In the lower body section I I, the leg .openings 33 and 34 are located, into which openings the legs Ill and I5 are inserted. The legs Iterminate in peripheral iianges 35 and 36 for movably retaining the legs in position.v l

The longitudinally extending post is .provided with a circular .shoulder section 31, adjacent and section I U, into arm4 opening 28. tion is shown in Fig. 1. tion of the body section be made integral with :the lower portion, Aaslshown in Fig. 5, the arm y I3a.may be inserted through the head opening engaging the circular collars 3l and 32, and a circular shoulder section 38 engaging the contacting surfaces of peripheral flanges 35 and 36. Resilient washers 39 and 40 may be interposed between shoulder 31 and its engaging collars, and between shoulder 38 and its engaging anges respectively. lThe washers are suitably secured to the circular shoulders, as by gluing, to prevent separation, and they provide a resilient engaging surface which maintains contact between shoulders and collars or flanges, as the case may be, to take up any wear that may occur.

It will thus be seen that rotating the head will cause the collars and iianges of the arms and legs respectively to rotate causing movement in the appendages.

The method of assembling the arms and legs to the body sections is shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

In Fig. 4, the arm I3 is shown in the stage ofbeing inserted through opening I8 of body The iinal posi- Should the upper por- I'IL into arm opening 28a, to enable the arms to be properly positioned in their openings.

.The legs are similarly insertedpeither through the respective leg openings, as shown in Fig. l,

Qor'through the head opening, as described above, andas shown in the fragmentary View of Fig. ywhere the leg Illa is shown partially projecting through leg opening 33a, in the lower portion of the body' section Illa.

In all versions the arms and legs are first in- `serted fingers and toes projecting forward into the hollow body, and then through the hollow body into` their respective appendage openings until the flanges position 'themselves against the f innerrwall about the openings.

The contacting surfaces of collars 3I and 32, flanges 35 and 36, and shoulders 3'! and 38 may "be roughened` to insure frictional engagement withv each other. they may be toothed for interlocking-the contacting surfaces to insure movement despite any Instead of relying on friction,

wear, th'u's eliminating the need for resilient washers. L .By reducing the diameter of the collars Any shape r type of contactcause a movement of all remaining appendages including the head. Rotating the body portions fwith respect to one another or with respect to lthe head will also cause the appendages to move in their openings.

In Fig. '7, is shown a modification, wherein the arms I 2b and I3b are inserted intoopenings 27h and'b, of the body portion IUD, the enlarged portion of the arma-29?) and 38h, constituting a ball and socket arrangement respectively, 'the socket B2b receiving the ball 29D. One 'of the arms may thus be rotated, causing the other to move similarly.

' 'In Fig. 8, the arms I2C and I3c are provided with contacting ,ball shaped ends 29e and 33e, the'openings 27e and 28e being socket shaped, as at 27d and 28d respectively. In contrast with arms I2b and I3?) of Fig. 'I which may only be rotated, arms I2C and I3c may be moved in any ."dire'ction, thelfriction betweenv the. balls causing 'opening 2'I in the lower body section II, into,v

'ment being secured to the body portion I0e.

holding the body portion Ille.

4- one to move the other, the balls being kept in position in their sockets.

In both Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 modifications, the parts are slightly sprung when inserted, causing them to snap into proper position under a retaining pressure. The walls of the body portion may also be slightly flexed in such assembly to assist in the positioning of the parts.

In Fig. 9, a spring wound. movement 40 is illustrated diagrammatically positionedV about the post I9a, with one end IHv corresponding to the key Winding of the movement being secured to the post and the other fixed end 42 of the movemovement is wound by rotating theV post while When the winding pressure is released the post will rotate, causingr the engaging arms and legs, and the head, not shown, to move likewise. The spring wound mechanism is not shown in detail, its design being well known, and shown in prior artfpatents.

In Fig. 10, a modied form of my'device is shown characterizedby the two body portions I0c and Ilc with associated appendagesbeng secured together with the contacting shoulder parts in between. Thus the shoulders 3'Ic and 38C are joined on the post I9c and the upper and The head in this formmay be secured to the post as by threading, ythus serving to holdthe body portions together with the lower end of the post flattened, as previously shown in Fig.' 1.

In Fig. l1, I have illustrated an animal figure indicatingl h ow the body section may be longitudinally divided into two portions' Itri-and IId, held together by a transverse post or pin IQd, the ends 23d of which are attened to secure the two body sections together. The `front appendages I2d and I3d and rear appendages Idd and ld, terminate in enlarged ball shaped ends, such as 29d and 30d, 35d and 36d respectively, each pair of which may contact each other in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 8. The head-sec- Vtion IBd, and a tail 50 are positioned in apertures I'Id and 50d respectively, formed at the junction of the vtwo body portions, and terminate in enlarged ball shaped ends IBe and 50e, each engaging one of the aforementioned enlarged ball shaped appendages, suchas29d, and 35d, as illustrated. Thus movementof either the tail or either rear leg will cause the remainingt'wo rear appendages to move. Similarly, movement of either the head or either of the front legs will cause Ithe remaining two front appendages. to move. .As has been explained the contacting surfaces should be roughened or suitably provided with surfaces thatv will not cause slippage of the contacting parts unless such slippage is intended to avoid breaking of the parts under excess stresses.

The various parts may be made of any suitable material, such as the thermoplastics, which vare rigid at room tempertures, and can be moulded orotherwise shaped. The parts are preferably made .so that the openings containing rotating or movable parts arev free of seams or `mould marks which would interfere with the free movement of the parts. Glue or other adhesives which The to be freely positioned inside the body of the doll or gure. The figures may be sectioned longitudinally or transversely, the latter possessing the advantage of enabling the upper and lower portions of the body to rotate with respect to each other simulating a body posture partially obtainable in life.

The invention may be incorporated advantageously in all types of figures, human or animal.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not coni-ined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained, and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments here shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. A doll-like figure having a body section and appendages, said body section and appendages having a shape representing a life-like ngure, one

of said appendages having an enlarged end portion, said body section having a hollowed portion provided with a plurality of openings, one of said openings being larger than the enlarged end portion of the appendage to permit it to be entirely inserted inside the body section, another of said openings being smaller than the said enlarged end portion to prevent it from passing therethrough, said appendage extending through the smaller opening with the enlarged end portion inside the body, retaining the appendage in position, said appendage being movable with respect to the body section and provided with means positioned inside the body preventing inner movement of the appendage in the axis of the smaller opening, said body section being provided with a surface portion conforming to the configuration of the doll-like gure, covering the larger open- 2. The figure of claim 1, wherein the appendage is made of rigid material and the enlarged end portion of the appendage is made integral with the appendage, requiring the appendage itself to be inserted through both of said openings.

3. The figure of claim 1, wherein the body section comprises two hollow portions, each having a plurality of openings one of said openings corresponding to the larger opening, and another of said openings corresponding to the smaller opening, and means rotatably securing the two hollow portions to each other with the larger openings abutting each other.

4. The figure of claim 3, one of said hollow portions being rotatably mounted on a seat provided in the other hollow portion.

5. The figure of claim 1 wherein the opening for the appendage is provided with a seat accessible to the inside of the body portion into which the enlarged end of the appendage is located.

6. The iigure of claim l, wherein the enlarged end of the appendage is substantially ball shaped, and the appendage opening is provided in the 6 hollow side thereof with a ball shaped seat to give the appendage a substantially universal movement in the seat.

7. The iigure of claim 1, wherein a head section is positioned in the largest opening.

8. The method of assembling a doll-like figure having a hollow body section containing a plurality of openings, one being larger than the other, and an appendage having an enlarged end portion said body section and appendage having a shape representing a life-like figure, which comprises the step of inserting the enlarged end portion entirely through the larger opening, and supporting the appendage in the smaller opening with the enlarged end portion of the appendage inside the body section with the remainder of the appendage extending through the smaller opening and rotatably supported in position therein, then inserting a positioning means inside the body section preventing inner movement of the appendage in the axis of the smaller opening, and nally closing the larger of the openings with a surface portion conforming to the configuration of the doll-like figure.

9. The iigure of claim 1, wherein the body section comprises two hollow portions secured together by a hollow member extending through the body section, each hollow portion having a plurality of openings supporting appendages therein.

10. The gure of claim 1, wherein the enlarged end portion is made integral with the appendage requiring the appendage/ itself to be inserted through both lof said openings, and the body section is provided with opposed openings. appendages like said one appendage positioned therein, and an extending member positioned between the enlarged ends of the opposed appendages, said extending member terminating in an externally positioned head portion for the figure.

l1. The gure of claim 1, wherein the enlarged end portion of the said one appendage is made integral with the appendage requiring the appendage itself to be inserted through both of said openings, and the body section is provided withy an extending member positioned between the inner ends of two of the said one appendages, and a resilient member positioned between the appendages and the extending member to establish resilient contact between the two for mutual movement therebetween.

GEORGE H. SELIGSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

